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Startling Stories: the Thing #1

Posted: Mon Jan 30, 2017 12:54 am
by Col_Fury
STARTLING STORIES: THE THING #1 (2003)
By Ron Zimmerman & Don Kramer

APPEARANCES:
Thing (also in fbs), Nick Fury, Human Torch, Hulk; Wolverine (bts in fb), Wrecker (in fb); US President (bts in fb), Gen. Thunderbolt Ross (bts in fb), Mr. Fantastic (bts in fb), Gorgon (in fb), Karnak (in fb), Triton (in fb), Medusa (in fb), Black Bolt (in fb); Invisible Girl (in fb), Mr. Fantastic (bts in fb), Human Torch (bts in fb), Blastaar (in fb), Edwin Jarvis (in fb)

FLASHBACKS:
The Thing is on his way to a card game with Wolverine when the police ask him to stop the Wrecker. Thing beats him up and spanks him with his crow bar (7-11). Gen. Thunderbolt Ross is ready to start a war with the Inhumans, so the Thing has been sent in by the US President to calm everyone down. Thing fights with Gorgon, then chats with Medusa; Black Bolt gets the wrong idea and starts a fight with the Thing. Eventually, everyone calms down (13-24). The Thing plays cards with the Invisible Girl, pregnant with Franklin, while Mr. Fantastic and the Human Torch are in the Negative Zone with the Avengers. Blastaar attacks, intent on killing the Invisible Girl and her child. Invisible Girl calls the Avengers for help (Jarvis reminds her they’re in the Negative Zone with her husband). The Thing defeats Blastaar (27-35).
SYNOPSIS:
Nick Fury recruits the Thing to subdue a rampaging Hulk.

NOTES:
Published the same month as FF 502-503 (Thing), IH3 59 (Hulk) and SM&W 3 (Nick Fury).

The Wrecker fb seems to be relatively recent. For Wolverine context, published this month was NX 145, UX 429-430, W3 4 and W:SNIKT 4.

The Inhumans fb happens before Attilan leaves the Himalayas, and at a time when there’s a new US President “that doesn’t play around.” The Inhumans moved Attilan from the Himalayas to the moon in FF 240 (from 1982), so sometime before that. There was an election in 1980, so placing this around comics from 1981 (after the inauguration) seems like it would be a safe bet, but… Medusa was abducted by the Enclave around FF 207 and isn’t available again until FF 240. So Reagan’s out (he came in around FF 220). Early in Nixon’s presidency would be around-ish FF 83-93. That works for the Inhumans, so we should be good.

The Blastaar fb happens when the Invisible Girl is VERY pregnant with Franklin. Franklin was born in FF@ 6 (between FF 80-81), so before that. After FF 79 seems like a nice spot; the Thing had just been teased with becoming human again, so some downtime with the Invisible Girl would go well here. Of course, she’d spent a good stretch in the hospital due to complication from her pregnancy (FF 73-79), but before this she’s not looking as pregnant as she is here. Things must have calmed down so she could go home for a bit.

Placement suggestions:

BLACK BOLT/BLACKAGAR BOLTAGON
……
FF 83
*STRTLS:TG-FB
SS 18
……

BLASTAAR
……
DEF2 10
*STRTLS:TG-FB
X 53
……

FURY, COL. NICHOLAS "NICK" JOSEPH
……
SM&W 4-FB
*STRTLS:TG
FF 504
……

GORGON
……
FF 83
*STRTLS:TG-FB
SS 18
……

HULK/DR. ROBERT BRUCE BANNER
……
H/TG:HK 4
*STRTLS:TG
A3 74
……

HUMAN TORCH II/JOHNNY STORM
……
FF 79
*STRTLS:TG-FB-BTS
ASM@ 5-FB
……
FF 502
*STRTLS:TG
FF 503
……

INVISIBLE GIRL/SUE STORM RICHARDS
……
FF 79
*STRTLS:TG-FB
FF@ 6
……

JARVIS, EDWIN
……
A 55
*STRTLS:TG-FB
A:EMH2 1 (1 - 5:4)
……

KARNAK
……
FF 83
*STRTLS:TG-FB
SS 18
……

MEDUSA II/MEDUSALITH AMAQUELIN
……
FF 83
*STRTLS:TG-FB
FF 94
……

MR. FANTASTIC/REED RICHARDS
……
FF 79
*STRTLS:TG (27 - 35)-FB-BTS
ASM@ 5-FB
……
X 65
*STRTLS:TG (13 - 24)-FB-BTS
FF 94
......

NIXON, RICHARD MILHOUS
SAGAHT 4-FB
IH2 119
*STRTLS:TG-FB-BTS
A 82
……

ROSS, GEN. THADDEUS E. "THUNDERBOLT"
……
IH2 124
*STRTLS:TG-FB-BTS
IH2 125
……

THING II/BENJAMIN J. GRIMM
……
FF 79
*STRTLS:TG (27 - 35)-FB
ASM@ 5-FB
……
X 65
*STRTLS:TG (13 - 24)-FB
SUB 21
FF 94
......
FF 502
*STRTLS:TG (7 - 11)-FB
*STRTLS:TG
CM4 14
……

TRITON
……
FF 83
*STRTLS:TG-FB
SS 18-FB
……

WOLVERINE/"LOGAN"/JAMES HOWLETT
……
NX 150
*STRTLS:TG-FB-BTS
WX2 18-FB
……

WRECKER III/DIRK GARTHWAITE
……
TG:FREAK 1
*STRTLS:TG-FB
M/HOL 2004
……